Aniqah Nashiat is a 2025 Summer Associate in the firm’s Long Island office. Last summer, Aniqah was an intern to the Hon. Ramon E. Reyes of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She recently completed her second year at St. John’s University School of Law where she was a Staff Member of the St. John’s Law Review and Journal of Catholic Legal Studies and a member of the St. John’s University School of Law Economic Justice Clinic. Going into her third year, she serves on the e-board of St. John’s Law Review and Journal of Catholic Legal Studies as a Notes and Comment Editor and will participate in St. John’s University School of Law Securities Arbitration Clinic. She graduated cum laude from SUNY Stony Brook University with a B.A. in Political Science and minor in Globalization.
Learn more about Aniqah through the Summer Associate Spotlight below:
What made you interested in law as a Career? The law is one of the few careers where your degree can expose you to so many different industries, from healthcare to banking to sports. This keeps your career always interesting because you could be doing something different every day. Also, I always gravitated towards reading and writing in school. After a semester in undergraduate doing a major I had no interest in, I made the switch to pre-law and have not looked back since!
What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? My favorite thing to do outside of work is spend quality time with my friends and family and try new foods! With law school being such a large time commitment, I try to see my loved ones as much as I can to get the much-needed time away from constantly studying. I am also a big foodie and love to try cuisines from all over the world!
What have you enjoyed most about Cullen and Dykman’s program? I enjoyed being able to do work from several different practice areas with the program’s open assignment system. I learned about areas of law that I once knew nothing about, like healthcare or higher education law. Also, all the attorneys and staff have been incredibly supportive during my time here. Everyone has been willing to help in any way they can.
What academic/professional achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of my Note, Competition for All? The FTC’s Ban on Non-Competes and the More Effective Route, being chosen for publication onto the upcoming volume of St. John’s Law Review.
What advice do you have for prospective Summer Associates/Fellows? I would tell prospective Summer Associates/ Fellows to try to expose yourself to as many different practice areas as possible, even if you have a strong interest in one already. I came into the summer set on corporate law and, while I still loved the work I did for the corporate group, I have thoroughly enjoyed the work I did for other groups too. The summer is about getting exposure to what the firm offers and not pigeon-holing yourself to one thing!
What is the best career advice you have received at Cullen and Dykman? The best career advice I received at Cullen and Dykman was to be your most authentic self. The path you are meant to be on will present itself when you are trying to be you and not someone you are not.
Can you describe some of the ways that you grew during your time at Cullen and Dykman? In terms of work quality, I believe my legal research has improved tremendously. I was handed some difficult research questions this summer that felt like I would never find an answer to. However, as the summer went on, my confidence and ability grew in finding what I was looking for!
What is the most valuable skill you gained while being a Summer Associate? The most valuable skill I gained while being a Summer Associate was getting comfortable asking mentors for help. The attorneys are here to help, so asking plenty of questions will not only help you but it will show them your initiative.